As temperatures drop and days shorten in the northern hemisphere, it can only mean one thing: the European ski season is almost upon us.

With so many options -- both in terms of chalets and resorts -- and a huge range of prices to navigate, it’s all too easy to book the wrong thing.

Whatever your skill level, group size or budget, here are some of Europe’s best mountain lodges for the coming season.

San Lorenzo Mountain Lodge, Dolomites, Italy

Cash to splash? Head for the Dolomites.

Lodge: Built in the 16th century as a bishop’s hunting lodge, San Lorenzo Mountain Lodge is now a family-run, four-bedroom mountain retreat where everything is done to the very highest level.

There’s a helipad (which means a seven-minute commute to the slopes), a wine cellar in what was the old goat shed (now goat-free and stocked with 1,500 bottles of local wine) and a mini-spa complete with a Finnish sauna and Turkish bath.

At 1,200 meters above sea level, the panoramic views of three valleys are best enjoyed from the heated outdoor whirlpool.

Resort: Ideal for beginners or pros, the Italian Dolomites have 1,500 kilometers of skiable slopes.

Monte Rosa Hütte, Zermatt, Switzerland

Lodge: With its glass and aluminum walls, the Monte Rosa Hütte almost melts into the Swiss and Italian Alps that surround it.

Simple and functional, 18 mini-dormitories (each with three bunk beds) are spread over three floors.

The all-Swiss design creates 90 percent of its own energy with a stack of solar panels generating electricity and hot water, which, of course, comes from snow.

The 10 p.m. curfew reminds you this is a functional mountain hut -- count yourself lucky there’s a sauna.

Resort: Zermatt has 350 kilometers of slopes, including the Klein Matterhorn which, at 3,820 meters, is Europe’s highest lift-serviced summit.

Best for: The adventurous and active.

Price: From CHF30 (US$32) per night.

Contact: Reachable only by foot, ski or helicopter, the Monte Rosa Hut sits at an altitude of 2,795 meters near the Swiss resort of Zermatt. Book via Zermatt Tourismus: +41 27 966 8100; www.zermatt.ch

Chalet Auriane, La Tzoumaz, Switzerland

Watch out for the reindeer.

Lodge: Split over two floors with views across the Rhone valley, Chalet Auriane sleeps 12 guests.

Fashioned from local stone and wood, this ski-in lodge has all the luxury extras: sauna, hot tub and private funicular that delivers you from slope to door and vice-versa.

Full of quirky touches, such as a full-size papier-mâché tiger and white reindeer heads wearing ski goggles, the interiors come from London designer Hugh Berry, the genius who designed the inside of Fortnum & Mason.

Resort: The Four Vallées have 410 kilometers of runs and 89 lifts, all of which are covered by a single lift pass.